Tips to Submit Applications to the Android Market

Developing a mobile application has its own challenges. But if the words of mobile researchers are to be believed, submitting a completed application to the app store is far more complicated. Getting the approval of the major app stores is a tricky affair, and this is the reason why several aspects need to be taken care of by the developer before uploading a mobile application to these stores. Android was the most popular OS platform in 2012 and its usage and sales are estimated to rise further this year. Here we talk about the steps to follow to submit mobile apps successfully to the Android Market.

1. Get yourself registered – Registering the name of your development firm is the foremost step to successful uploading of Android apps to the store. Distribution of software products in the Android Market can begin only after the registration is complete.

2. Test the app thoroughly – App testing, not once but a number of times, is essential before submitting the software to the Android Market. A developer can use the tools offered by Google’s OS platform; but it is the responsibility of the development firm to ensure that the IT team is skilled enough to handle these tools. Testing on emulators is followed by several developers, but mobile analysts say that Android apps should be tested only on devices that run the operating system. In this way the developer will get an idea of how the app operates on physical devices. Verification of the elements of the user interface and ascertaining the efficacy of the Android app also becomes easier once it is tested on a real device under realistic conditions.

3. Use the Android Market licensing advantage – The Android Market licensing facility is for optional usage. But it should be used by developers especially in the case of uploading a paid software to the app store. The reason why mobile researchers recommend licensing of Android apps is that the developer will then be able to exercise complete legal control over the software. The alternatives to the Android Market licensing arrangement are End User License Agreement (EULA).

4. Design an app manifest – Preparing the manifest of your Android app immediately before uploading it to the application store is an important step to remember. In this manifest the developer needs to specify his/her application’s label and icon so that they get displayed on the ‘Home Screen’, ‘My Downloads’, and ‘Menu’ sections upon accessing the mobile application. In fact, publishing services and several other sections of an Android app feature the label and icon, so that it becomes easier for the user to identify with the app as soon as it is opened.

5. Submit a clean app – It is recommended that a developer erases log files, backup files, and similar unnecessary information from a mobile application before submitting it to the Android Market. Also important to remember is turning off the debug feature of an Android app before submission.

6. Use a version number – Every mobile application submitted to the Android Market must first be assigned a version number. Planning the number in advance is important because appropriating the same number every single time an update is made to the app depends on the original number.

Following the above tips will enhance the possibility of the release of your app via the Android Market.